The invention relates generally to flow control actuation.
A subterranean well typically includes flow control valves, such as sliding sleeve valves, ball valves and rotating sleeve valves, as just a few examples. The effective cross-sectional flow area of a flow control valve may be incrementally adjustable for purposes of precisely regulating the flow through the valve when open. Another type of flow control valve has a fixed cross-sectional flow area when open. Thus, this type of flow control valve is either fully closed or opened.
Regardless of the particular type of flow control valve, the static force that is required to actuate the valve (i.e., the static force needed to change the state of the valve) may increase over the lifetime of the valve, due to the deposition of solids (scale deposits, for example) on the valve. This deposition typically opposes the movement of parts (a sleeve, for example) of the flow control valve and thus, may require the use of more static force to operate the valve as the deposition accumulates over the life of the valve. A typical solution to this problem is to oversize (at least initially) the valve's actuator so that the actuator produces enough force to overcome an increasing opposing force as more material is deposited on the valve. However, this solution may cause the valve to be undesirably large, expensive and/or complex.
Thus, there exists a continuing need for an arrangement and/or technique to address one or more of the problems that are set forth above as well as possibly address one or more problems that are not set forth above.